Solar

The Solar Roof – Update

By on July 13, 2017   /   Roofing, Solar  

Last year we talked about the evolution of the solar panel as it in regards to the roof and how panels will begin to look more and more like traditional roof tiles.

Well now they are here; a great example of design meeting function.

Tesla has developed solar roof tiles that look exactly like a traditional roof. Check them out:

You can see more examples and concepts here: https://www.tesla.com/solarroof

These glass tiles aren’t fragile either! In fact, they are more impact resistant to hail and other debris than other roofing materials.

While they are still very expensive, we would expect to see continued innovation and affordability in the future and hopefully some competition to spur even more progress in this field.

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The New Roof – Solar

By on August 11, 2016   /   Roofing, Solar  

Elon Musk’s Next Plan: Do for Roofs What He Did for Cars

The solar industry has been around a long time and while they have succeeded in expanding solar panels to residential rooftops, they have been limited by the bulky aesthetics of solar panels. We all know them when we see them and they haven’t changed msolarpanelroofuch over the years. Many would be consumers are hesitant to install solar panels are their roofs because of how they look. To combat this consumer concern, scientists and companies have been developing less obtrusive panels that blend with their environment: in this case it is the shingle roof.

This transition highlights the importance of design and its relationship to function. While the old panels were set up to collect sunlight, the trade off was the ‘heavy’ look of the panels and the additional hassle of maintaining your roof. Replacing a roof is enough of a process without having to first remove the panels and then re-install them after. Not to mention concerns with repairing a simple leak or panels causing more damage to your roof. With the new vision Elon Musk is proposing here, the new solar roof will function much the same way a normal roof would. Maintenance would seem to be done by one entity rather than having to coordinate between the traditional roofer and the solar panel installer to repair or replace the roof. By pursuing this redesignsolarroof, Solar City and others will not only get over the aesthetics hurdle, but they will also expand their potential market to include those who have reservations about the functionality of having solar panels on their roofs. This is design in action!

So what do you think? Would you be more likely to install solar panels that look like a normal roof? Was this even a concern?

 

 

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